Trenching apparatus.



T. F. MOQRE;

TRENCHING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED DEC-29. 1915.

1,263,096 Patented Ap1'.16,1918.

4 SHEETS-SHEET I.

T. F. MOORE.

TRENCHING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED DEC29, 1915.

i,2a63,996. Patented Apr. 16,1918.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

v 1 y l mwm I 1,263,69fi

T. F. MOORE.

'IRENCHING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED DEC. 29. 1915- 4 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

- ulmsmmm Patented Apr. 16, 1918.

T. F. MOORE.

TRENCHING APPARATUS. APPLICATION FILVED DEC.29.19I5.

1,263,096., Patented Apr. 16, ms.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

It, I littlllirpl l 11,0111; '1'. 1 Ilrpu THOMAS F. MOORE, OF SYRACUSE, NEW YORK,

AssIenon T0 Moons 'rnnnon MACHINE 00., OF SYRACUSE, NEW YORK, ACORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

rnnnonnve jArranA'rUs;

Application filed December 29, 1915.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, THOMAS F. Moonn, a citizen of the United States of America, and resident of Syracuse, in the county of Onondaga, .in the State of New York, have in-' panying drawings, 1s a description. p I

This invention relates to certain improvements in trench machines adapted to be used in excavating and re-filling trenches for sewers, water and gas mains and other underround conduits which are to extend considerable distances through straight or more or less undulating and tortuous routes and frequently require the use of sheathing plank arranged edge to edge vertically along and against the side walls of the trench and suitably braced to retain said walls against caving in during the process of excavation and laying of the conduits. In many instances, particularly in large cities, these trenches extend along routes which intercept highways and other lines of travel, and one of the main objects of my present invention is to construct a trestle along the line of the trench in such manner as to permit the use oftemporary crossovers at the high-ways or other intercepting lines of travel without in any way disturbing the structural elements of the trestle when once assembled for use.

Another object is space through the trestle for the free manipulation of conveying and hoisting apparatus carried by the trestle or operating in the trenches. p

A further object is to provide one or more traveling cranes movable lengthwise of and cooperating with thetrestle for use in placing and displacing the sheathing and other materials used in the formation'and reint'orcement of the trench throughout its length.

A still further object trestle which is made up of similar lengthwise units of suitable length capable of being easily and quickly installed in operative position end to end and to connect the meeting ends in such manner that either section may be deflected vertically or horizontally at a greater or less angle to the adjacent;

Specification of Letters Patent.

and a portion of andone of the traveling Fig. 3 is an endview of one of the trestle nor of securing said to provide a clear open from top to bottom lengthwise is to provide a Patented Apr. 16,1918.

Seria1IiTo. 69,217. i r

section to conform to the contour or route along which the trench extends. 1 Other objects and uses relating to specific parts of the'apparatus will be brought out in the following description.

In the drawingsv Figure 1 is a perspective view of a trench my improved apparatus mounted in operative relation thereto looking toward the power house at one end of the trestle. v Fig. 2 is a side elevation, partly broken away, of one end of the same apparatus including the power house, traveling conveyer cranes.

sections showing the trench in cross section, and also showing the traveling crane 1n operative relation to the trestle, as used 111 driving the sheathing plank into the ground. Fig. 4: is a top plan of theupper portion of the crane and adjacent portion of the guide rail on the trestle. j

Fig. 5 is an enlarged transverse sectional view of the upper portion of the trestle and adjacent portion of the'crane in traveling contact therewitln'a portion of the traveling conveyer being also shown in elevatiomas operatively mounted upon the ridge rail of the trestle.

Fig. 6 is an enlarged side elevation, partly in section, of the meeting ends of the ridge rails of the trestle sections showing the man ends together.

Fig. 7 is a horizontal sectional view taken on line 7 7, Fig. 6.

Fig. 8 is a top plan, partly in section of the central portion of the ridge rail of one of the trestle sections and reinforcing members therefor, showing the connections for the brace bars for stifi'ening the ridge rail against buckling. V

Fig. 9 is an enlarged detail sectional view through a portion of the traveling conveyerthereof along and upon suitable rails or stringers l which are supported upon upwardly converging legs 3- united at the top by a cross bar l, Figs. 1 and 3, and a guide rail or ridge-beam 5- having one end supported by the central portion of the cross bar -4, and its other end projected horizontally some distance therefrom and supported by brace bars 6 having their upper ends connected in a manner hereinafter described to the central portion of the rail or beam 5-, and their lower ends secured by slip connections 7 to the corresponding legs 3. to allow the legs and brace bars to be relatively adjusted when necessary to conform to the lateral adjustment of the legs for trenches of .dif ferent widths.

The legs -3 and cross bar lare also braced against relative movement when adjusted for use by opposite brace bars 8 converging upwardly from the central portions of the legs 3 to points at opposite sides of, and some distance from the ridge beam or rail 5-, the upper ends of the braces 8 being pivoted by bolts 9 to the cross bar 4- while their lower ends are pivoted to clamping members -10 which are adjustable along and upon their respective legs 3- and are adapted to be frictionally clamped in their adjusted positions by bolts 1l-.

The legs 3 are pivotally connected by bolts -'-12- to opposite ends of the cross bar -4 so as to permit them to be adjusted transversely to span trenches of different widths by simply loosening the clamping members 7 and -l0 and readjusting them to conform to the adjustment of the legs, after which they are tightened to firmly lock their respective brace bars thereto, it being understood that the connection between the upper ends of the brace bar 6- and ridge rail -5 is sufliciently flexible to allow the necessary adjustment of such brace bars.

The connection betweenthe upper ends of the brace bar 6 and ridge rail or beam comprises lengthwise reinforcing members 13- rigidly secured by bolts 14- to opposite faces of the web of the beam 5 substantially midway between the ends of said beam, and outstanding brackets 15 secured to the outer faces of the central portions of the'reinforcing members l3 by bolts 16- together at opposite sides with tubular stays 17 interposed between the centralportions of the brackets -15- and adjacent faces .of the reinforcing members 13, to better resist the strains upon the brackets, the upper ends of the brace bars 6 being applied to the apeXes of the brackets l5 where they are held in place by the bolts l2 passing through the sleeves and also through registering apertures in the reinforcing members 13 and beam -5.

The legs 3 of each pair, together with their connecting cross bar 4:- and braces -8- constitute what may be termed one of the main upright supports for the ridge rail or beam 5- and are disposed in the same transverse vertical plane, the lower ends of g ordinary loaded wagon or car to pass across the track and under the ridge beam.

It is now clear from the foregoing description that the pairs of brace bars 6 and 8, as well as the legs 3- of each trestle section are located some distance apart at opposite-sides of the overhead ridge beam 5 so that when the several sections of the trestle are assembled they afford a clear unobstructed space longitudinally thereof from end to end and from the tops of the rails 1- to theunder side of the ridge beam through any part of which conveyers, buckets and other objects may be moved. freely into and out of and along the trench at any height within such space without interference with any part of the trestle. i

It is equally evident. that by connecting the diagonal braces -6 to the bases of the legs -3 and to the central portions of the ridge beam -5 in the manner d scribed, it not only serves to hold said beam at substantially right angles to the trans verse vertical plane of the legs 3- against lateral buckling, but also leaves a clear open space between said diagonal braces and the upright standard or support of the next adjacent trestle section of sufiicient dimensions to allow the passage of ordinary vehicles and cars therethrough, as for example at the intersection of streets or other lines of travel of pedestrians and vehicles, the only requirement being to provide the trench with necessary crossovers.

The ridge rail 5 of each trestlesection guide rails for receiving and supporting a traveling conveyer 20- having each-of its ends provided with opposite pairs of rollers 7 house and trestle section so any suitable construction capable of receiv.-.

block -V22 to -23 shown by be attached, said by a cable --2&

ing and supporting a fall which the load, as a bucket dotted lines in Fig. 2, may fall block being controlled passing over sheaves eling conveyer -l 20 and another sheave on the fall block and having one end attached to said fall block and its other end passed around a sheave -26- on the rear end of the trestle, Fig. 10, and returned to the front end of said trestle over a sheave 27- and drum 28 in the block with or without the load thereon is elevated and locked in the conveyor,

Another cable -29- has one end attached to a separate drum -30- in the power its other end passed over a sheave -31 on the front of the trestle and attached to the front end of the con'veyer, as shown in Fig. 2.

The power house is preferably vmade in the form of a car mounted on the track -1- and carrying suitable motive power for operating the drums -28 and 30 and is also provided at its rear end with an upright standard -3- for supporting the front end of the that the car constitutes a part of the trestle work which may be moved as a unit along and upon the track as the work upon the trench progresses.

Each cross bar -4 preferably comprises a pair of oppositely arranged juxtaposed angle bars of steel having their horizontal flanges at the top and facing each other, as shown in Fig. 6, and held in spaced relation by interposed sleeves 32 for receiving clamping bolts 83 by which the angle bars are held and in parallelism.

In order that the trestle sections may be easily and quicklyassembled end to end, and the meeting ends of their ridge rails held in exact registration so that the supporting be practically rails for the conveyor may continuous, the adjacent ends of the webs of the ridge rails or beams are cut-away relatively short distances longitudinally toforni recesses 3l, the combined length and vertical height of the recesses being sufficient to receive the crossbar passed therethrough, but in practice these recesses are made slightly longer and wider vertically than the corresponding cross sectional dimensions of the cross bar so as to permit the beams to be deflected slightly vertically and horizontally at the joint at an angle to each other if desired to conform -25- on the travsembled upon I the cross ridge beam of the adjacent by making the openings in the web of the beam sections slightly in operative relation to the contour of the ground and direction of the route along which the trestle extends.

The portions of the beam sections at the top and ends of the recesses are preferably straight and disposed at right angles to each other to allow such portions of the beam to rest flatwiseupon and against the adjacent flat portions of the cross bar vertically when the beam sections are arranged in the same straight line or deflected horizontally relatively to each other. a e I When the beam sections are properly asbar end to end, they are firmly clamped together by fish plates 5 applied to opposite sides of the webs of the adjacent ends thereto by bolts 36, said plates being provided with out-turned flanges 37 engaging opposite faces of the cross bar 4E- and clamped thereto by the same bolts -3 3- which pass throughthe sleeves -3Qr.

Each of these fish plates is provided with a central opening -3S- of substantially the same size and form as that formed by the recesses -8 lin the adjacent ends of the beam sections -5 and registering therewith for receiving the cross bar l.

The upper edges of the clamping plates -35- above the openings 38 are provided with out-turned flanges -39 closely fitting against the under side of the top flanges as 9 of the ridge beam --5- for additionally holding the meeting ends of the beams in alinemen These plates are preferably made of bendable metal, such as boiler iron or malleable castings, so; as to permit a slight bending thereof, particularly at the junctions of the flanges 37 with the, main body in case it is necessary to deflect either one ofthe adjacent beams at an angle to the other,'such relative adjustment being further facilitated I for the bolts -36- of the bolts and longer than the diameter in the cross bar also making the openings for the .bolts +S3- slightly larger than such bolts. a a

In this manner, a slight flexing connection is established between the cross bar and adjacent ends of the ridge beam sections serving to permit said sections to be deflected at a slight angle relatively to each other without destroying the alinement or continuity of the guide rails along and upon which the conveyer -20- is movable.

Channel bars elO-- are secured by bolts -41 to the tops of their respective beam sections -5 and extend from end to end thereof with their side flanges up-turned to form guide rails for the upper portion of a traveling crane el2 having itslower end providedwith rollerbearings 43- movable along and upon a separate rail or stringer -1"-, the latterbeing extended thereof and secured along and upon the ground parallel with andjust outside one of the main rails 1-' for the trestle.

This traveling crane may be of any suitable constructionybut preferably comprises a main upright l4- extending from the rail -1- some distance above the topof the trestle where it is provided with a laterally projecting arm 45 overhanging the top of the trestle and pivoted at 46 to the main upright --44 o as to permit its free end to rest by its own weight upon the guide rail 40- and allow such free end to automatically adjust itself to any slight variations in the height of the derrick as the crane is moved alongthe same, said pivotal connection between the arn145 and upright letalsc serving to permit the arm to be swung vertically into and out of engagement with the guide rail -l0 when placing the crane in operative relation to the trestle, or removing it therefrom.

In order that the upper end of the traveling crane may be held against lateral movement relatively to the ridge beam 5,-

and at the same time to allow it tomove freely back and forth along the guide rail l0 without liability of binding, the inner end of the arm 4:5- is elongated in the direction of length of the trestle and is provided at its opposite ends with vertical and horizontal rol1ers'-48 and -l9, as shown more clearly in Fig. 5, the roller l8 resting upon the upper face of the web of the guide rail --l0 close to the inner face of one of the upstanding flanges thereof, while the roller e9 engages the outer upright face of the same flange, thus holding the upper portion of the crane against undue transverse movement relatively to the guide rail -40- and beam 5, vhile the spacing of the rollers of each set'some distance to the opposite ides of the longitudinal center of the arm l5 enables this part of the crane to move freely along and upon the guide rail 40-without liability of binding, the roller bearings 4t3 on the lower end of the upright -44 being also spaced tance part at the opposite side of the longi of the upright to give for the crane against longitudinal center ample support tudinal rocking movement.

' The traveling conveyer 20- comprises a pair of upright hangers -50- spaced some distance apart in parallelism lengthwise of the trestle and in substantially the same vertical plane as the beam 5, the upper ends of saidb'ars being extended upwardly at opposite sides of the base flange of the beam -5- for receiving the rollers 21 which ride upon the upper faces of said base flanges and serve to support the entire conveyer.

a considerable disto carry it beyond the place where The lower ends of the hangers --50 terminate in a horizontal plane substantially midway between the tracks l and the underside of the vided with platforms 51 extending inwardly toward each other, but spaced {1 sufficient distance apart t receive the bucket -23 between them, said platforms being also extended longitudinally some distance to opposite sides of the hangers 50 to form convenient supports for an operator.

The inner ends of the platforms are provided with upturned extensions 52 which are connected by a rigid cross bar 53, thereby bracing the lower ends of the hangers against relative lateral movement, the innerends of said platforms be ing spaced apart to form a bucket opening and side buffers, and are additionally supported by diagonal braces -5 l connecting the upper end of the extensions 52- to the upper portion of the hangers 50-.

Additional horizontal bars 55 are secured to opposite faces of the hangers 50 in parallelism with and some distance below the beams 5- forrfurther stiffening the conveyer frame and forming a suitable support for the locking mechanism for the fall block -22 andload carried thereby. 7'

The bars -55 are extendedsome distance rearwardly beyond the rear hanger 50 for receiving and supporting a sheave 5G for the cable 24., and terminate in a buffer 57 cooperating with a corresponding buffer -58 on a bracket 59 which is rigidly secured to the rear end of the ridge beam 5- of the trestle for limiting the movement of the conveyer in that direction.

The bars -55 are provided with pend ent plates 60 in spaced relation trans-V versely for receiving between them the fall block 2i2 said plates being provided with lengthwise slots -6l for receiving a locking pin 6Q which is adapted to be engaged by the usual hook on the upper'end of the fall block for holding said fall block and load carried thereby upon the carriage. This locking-pin 62 is mounted upon a hand lever 63 which is pivoted at -64 to the bars 55 so that when desired the lever 63 may be operated by hand to releas the locking pin 62 from looking engagement with the fall block -22, as

for example in the operation of loweringthe bucket 2? WVhen the traveling conveyer is operated along inclined portions of the trestle, and particularly with one or both operating cables slack, the momentum or gravity tends it is desired to stop, and in order to retard this excessive movement, I have provided a brake-shoe 65 movable into and out of beam 5 and are pro-' engagement with the lower face of thevridge In a similarmannei' any number, of sec beam a shown more clearly in Fig; tions may be added in sequence to complete 2, said brake-shoe being attached to the upthe trestle to any length desired, it being per end of a vertically moving rod 66' understood that the conveyer maybe which is guided on the front end of the placed upon the beam 5of thefirsttrestle conveyer -.20 and has its lower end (3011- section as soon as such section is secured in nected to a pedal lever -fi7 also mounted operative position, or may be similarly on the conveyer near the adjacent platform placed upon any one of the succeeding sec- 51-within convenient reaching distance 'tions.

of the operator so that by pressing down his also evident that the conveyer may 7-5 upon the pedal end of the lever -67-, the be set up in operative relation to the trestle brake-shoe -65- may be forced into fricduring the progress of building or at any tional engagement with the under side of time after the trestle is completed. The the beam 5- for stopping the conveyer manner of assembling and operating the reat the desired point in its travel. maining parts of the device are believed to The crane -42 is provided with suitbe described'with sufficient clearness to enable hoisting mechanism 68 having a able anyone skilled in the art to construct cable .69 passing over a sheave 70 and use the same. on the top of the crane and carrying a drop WVhat I claim is: weight or hammer 7l, by which the l. Ina trench machine, a trestle composed 8,5 Sl12tlll1l1l ','2LS -a-, of the trench may be of lengthwise. sections secured together end driven into the ground. to end, each section comprising a pair of up- It is evident, however, that the hoisting. wardly convergent legs, across bar pivotally device of the crane may be used for any other connected to the upper ends of said legs-to purpose to which it is adapted, as for expermit the latter to be rocked inwardly and ample in withdrawing the sheathing, or in outwardly about said pivots to correspond handling timbers and other materials used to diiferentwidths oftrenches, braces havin the formation of the trench. ing their upper ends attached to. the cross In assembling the various parts of the bar and their lower ends provided with slip trenching machine, the tracks 1* and connections-with the legs, a guide rail hav- -lare first laid along opposite sides of mg one end centrally secured to the cross the proposed trench uniform distances apart, bar, additional braces having their upper after which the power car 2- may be ends securedlto the guide rail intermediate placed thereon and moved to the deisred poits ends and their lower ends attached by sition. slip connections with the legs some distance The legs 3 of the trestle sections bebelow the points of attachment of the firstfore being raised to operative position are named braces, and a conveyer movable along adjusted to conform to the width of the and' upon the guide rail. track upon which such trestle section is to 2. In a trench machine, a trestle composed be mounted, it being understood that the of lengthwise sections secured together end entire trestle section, including the beam to endandeach section comprising upwardly -5, braces -6 and -8-, legs 3-- convergent legs, a cross bar pivotally conand cross bar -l are properly secured tonect-ing the upper ends of the legs to permit gether to form a unitary structure in which the latter to be rocked about the pivots to the plate 5 is secured to the cross bar conform to trenches of difierent widths, an and to the adjacent end of the beam, leaving overhead lengthwise guide rail centrally sean open space between opposite ends of the cured near one end to the cross bar, brace plates for receiving the adjacent end of the rails having t e1r upper ends attached to beam of the next succeeding trestle section the guide rail intermediate its ends and their by removing the bolts 33 which are to lower ends provided with slip connections secure said succeeding section to the plates. with the legs, and a conveyer movable along The trestle section next adjacent the and upon the guide rail. power house is then placed with its shoes 3. In a trench machine, a trestle composed -18- upon the track 1 and the free of lengthwise sections secured together end end of the section is then raised to a horizonto end, each section comprising opposite uptal position and the entire section then adright legs, a cross bar connecting the upper justed along the track until engaged with ends of the legs, a lengthwise guide milesthe upright 8- of the power car to which cured near oneend to the cross bar, opposite it is secured by suitable bolts. brace bars having their upper ends attached In like manner the next succeeding trestle to said guide rail at a point some distance section is placed in operative position upon from the cross bar, and connections between the track and its free end elevated into enthe lower ends of-the brace bars and legs, gagement with the adjacent end of the plates in combination with a conveyer movable --35- and secured thereto by the previously along and upon the guide rail. removed bolts -33-. 4.111 a trench machine, a trestle composed of lengthwise sections secured together end to end, each section comprising oppositeupright legs, a cross bar pivotally connected to the upper ends of said legs, brace bars in the same transverse plane as the legs'and cross bar and having their upper ends attached to said cross bar, connections between the lower ends of the braces and legs, a lengthwise guide rail secured near one end to the cross bar, additional brace bars ex tending upwardly and longitudinally from the lower ends of the legs, connections between the lower ends of the additional brace bars and legs, and separate connections between the upper ends of the brace bars and guide rail at a point some distance from the cross bar.

5. In a trench machine, a trestle composed of lengthwise sections secured together end to end, each section comprising opposite upright legs, a cross bar connecting the upper ends of the legs, a guide rail for supporting a traveling conveyer secured near one end to the center of the cross bar, brackets secured to and projecting from opposite sides of the rail some distance from the cross bar, brace bars having their upper ends attached to said brackets, and slip connections between the lower ends of said brace bars and legs.

6. In an apparatus of the character described, the combination of a track having its rails running along opposite sides of the trench, a trestle mounted on said rails and having an overhead lengthwise ridge-beam, said trestle having an unobstructed lengthwise passage extending from the rails. to the ridge-beam and from end to end of the trestle, and a traveling conveyer movable along and upon said beam.

In an apparatus of the character described, a trestle comprising an overhead Games of this patent may be obtained for lengthwise ridge-beam composed of sections arranged end to end and having their meet ing ends provided with recesses wholly between the lower and upper edges thereof, a cross bar extending through said recesses, means for securing the beams and cross bar against relative movement, and spaced supporting legs for the opposite ends of the cross bar.

8. In an apparatus of the character described, a trestle comprising an overhead lengthwise ridge beam composed of sections arranged end to end and having their meeting ends provided with recesses wholly between the lower and upper edges thereof, a fish plate secured by separate bolts to the adjacent ends of the beam sections and provided with an opening therethrough registering with said recesses,,a cross bar passed through said opening and recesses, means for securing the cross bar to the fish plate, and supporting legs for opposite ends of the cross bar. I

9. In an apparatus of the character described, the combination of atrack having its rails running along opposite sides of the trench, a trestle mounted on said rails and composed of sections having overhead lengthwise ridge-beams flexibly connected end to end, a traveling conveyer movable along and upon the ridge-beams, and provided with base-platforms spaced apart transversely to form a bucket opening and buffers for a bucket or load carried by said conveyer;

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand this 20th day of'December, 1915.

THOMAS F. MOORE.

Witnesses: 7

H. E. CHAsE, ALICE M. CANNON.

Washington, D. Q. 

